


So She Did

by GracefullyEmmaginative



Series: So She Did Series [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Burn Wounds, Everybody is alive because I said so, Everyone Needs A Hug, Female Peter Parker, Gen, Hurt child, Iron Dad, Like one curse word, Mention of injuries, Multi, NOT STARKER - Freeform, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Penny Parker - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, penny snaps instead of tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:26:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23290159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracefullyEmmaginative/pseuds/GracefullyEmmaginative
Summary: They still had a chance.  She could end this, without anyone knowing.  She could stop Thanos in his tracks before he could even start, and he wouldn’t even know what hit him.No one would know.She clenched her fist in determination, taking a sweep over the battlefield, and locking onto as many of her heroes as she could.Soon her mind was blank of everything but them, their names and voices chasing away the fear and tribulation she felt, replacing it with what only could be described as love.She could do this for them; she could make it all better.She raised The Gauntlet, pressing her thumb to her middle finger, and closed her eyes.She could end this.  She could make it all better.So she did.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Guardians of the Galaxy Team, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Peter Quill, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: So She Did Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680703
Comments: 32
Kudos: 436





	So She Did

**Author's Note:**

> So this got away from me lol Ive had this idea swimming around in my head for awhile now, and finally had the time to sit down and write it. 
> 
> It’s kind of angsty and everything, and mentions injuries so read the tags! 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Warnings: injuries, burns, a-comas, injured child, angst, blood.

Penny looked around, staring unseeingly out at the destruction that laid before her, and tried to get her body to move, to do something, but her fear kept her glued to the uneven terrain beneath her feet. She could feel the wind rushing unnaturally through her hair, threatening to pull her in every which way, and she had half the mind to let it, to just let go for the first time in her life, but a voice that she couldn’t ignore cut through the haze before she could even think about drifting away.

“Spider-Woman!” Someone screamed, getting closer and closer to her with every choked breath, calling for Penny to turn around, to look at them. 

And she did.

She wished she hadn’t. 

It was Steve, Captain America, rushing The Gauntlet at her like an oversized football, throwing it without a second thought, knowing that she would catch it. 

And she did, her instincts taking over without her blessing, leaping into the air and wrapping her scarred fingers around the one thing she was trying to avoid the most. She landed in a crouch, tucking The Gauntlet close to her chest and running in the opposite direction, putting as much distance between her and the battle raging on behind her as she could. 

She crouched down into a ditch far away from the fight, folding her body as small as it could go around the massive glove, praying that no one would find her, but knowing without a doubt that they would.

There was two ways this could go:

She could sit here and do nothing, wait for the inevitable, and let the bad guys win, or she could get up off her ass and do something to help. 

Penny Parker was never one to sit around and let others do for her when she could do for herself, no matter how much pain it caused, so of course she got up off her ass.

She slowly unfolded herself from around The Gauntlet, swallowing back as much of her fear as she could, before staring back at the battle behind her. No one had seemed to notice her or The Gauntlet’s absence yet. 

She stared down at the stones, a foreign thought filling her mind. 

‘Maybe there was no other way.’

Her hand slipped into the glove, watching with morbid fascination as it shrunk and melded around her small arm. She felt like a child wearing her parents clothes, parading around in a suit jacket and pretending to be much older then she really was. She could feel the power of the stones coursing through her very being, blinding and hot and overwhelming, but she couldn’t let go. Not now. 

They still had a chance. She could end this, without anyone knowing. She could stop Thanos in his tracks before he could even start, and he wouldn’t even know what hit him. 

No one would know. 

She clenched her fist in determination, taking a sweep over the battlefield, and locking onto as many of her heroes as she could. 

Soon her mind was blank of everything but them, their names and voices chasing away the fear and tribulation she felt, replacing it with what only could be described as love. 

She could do this for them; she could make it all better. 

She raised The Gauntlet, pressing her thumb to her middle finger, and closed her eyes. 

She could end this. She could make it all better.

So she did. 

——

Tony and Pepper Stark were back to back, letting out twin repulsor beams in sync, destroying enemies left and right like they’d been doing it all their lives. Tony took one final sweep to make sure there were no lingering foes, before turning towards his wife and lifting his face plate up with a swoosh. 

“I—“ Pepper cut him off, placing a kiss on his exposed lips before blasting off into the sky.

“I know!” God, he loved her, but he had no time to stop and play house wife, he needed to find the Gauntlet. 

And more importantly, he needed to find his kid. 

Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen her in a minute, not since he crushed her in the first hug they’d shared in five years, and made her promise in a shaking voice to keep safe. 

“Does anyone have eyes on The Gauntlet?” He called out to the coms, eyes still sweeping for a flash of red and blue. 

“I haven’t seen it since—“ The coms died off, Steve’s voice trickling out into the silence that suddenly filled the once noisy battlefield. 

“What’s going on?” Sam asked, but Tony was too focused on what was happening before him. 

One by one, right before his eyes, he watched as their enemies slowly disappeared, crumbling, ashen body’s hitting the dirt much like they had five years ago. He sucked in a deep breath, frantic eyes searching once more, but now with a vengeance he couldn’t explain. 

Something was wrong, something was wrong and he couldn’t place it—

“Where’s The Gauntlet?!” Stephen Strange screamed down the line, putting pieces together faster than anyone else could. 

“I gave it to Parker.” Steve whispered, his eyes wide, face paling beneath the multiple layers of grime that covered it. 

Tony dropped at that, losing altitude before his emergency protocols took over and righted him. “What?!” 

Energy filled the battle field once more, every single superhero jumping to action, screaming the girl’s name and praying that this assumption all of them had jumped to was wrong; that there were other factors at play, that the images in their heads were just fever dreams, and not reality. 

Everyone was too busy looking for the smiling face of a beautiful young hero to notice Thanos taking a seat upon the crumbling rubble of the world he’d helped destroy and begin to slowly fade from existence, all with a pained, accepting look on his face. If these people were going to win, the least he could was respect their ability to keep on fighting. 

And so he was gone. 

——

Penny felt distant, no longer connected to her body, watching instead of feeling as her form fell back against a rock, her arm laying limp, blackened and useless at her side. 

She could hear frantic screams in the distance, could make out the pain that lined each person's tone, but she didn’t have it in her to move, to call out to them and say ‘Here I am, come and save me!’

So she turned her head to the sky, and sucked in the biggest breath she could. 

‘Did it work?’ She thought, wishing she had someone beside her at that moment; someone to wipe away the tear that fell from the corner of her eye when her arms wouldn’t move. 

But that was a selfish thought. 

Her eyes slipped shut just as something loud and bulky landed in front of her. 

“I found her—!” She peeled open her eyes to see James Rhodes kneeling before her, hands reaching up to cradle her unsteady head— “Oh, kid.” The man whispered, his own tears leaking out at the sight of her. 

“H-Hi Mr. Rhod—Rhodey.” 

“Hey Penny, what’d get yourself into this time, huh?” He asked, looking over his shoulder as more and more people started to congregate around them. “Can never stay out of trouble, can you kid?” Penny smiled, liking the feeling of his warm hands caressing her cheeks, carefully avoiding the radiation burns that covered the right side of her face, not that she could feel them anyway. 

She was suddenly very cold. 

“Penny?!” She’d recognize that voice anywhere, even with the fear that laced it and threatened to choke him, she still recognized it.

“Mr. Stark.” The man she thought of as a father landed roughly beside her, his iron suit shedded like a second skin, leaving him in athletic gear. 

“Hey, hey, Penny. Oh God, what did you do? What did you do, huh?” He pressed a shaking hand to her neck, feeling the unsteady beating of her struggling heart. “We’re going to get you some help, okay? Don’t you worry kiddo, not for a second.” Penny could tell he was putting on an act for her, smiling like it was the easiest thing in the world, even when she knew it wasn’t. He looked over his shoulder, beckoning The King of Wakanda closer. 

“Can you help her? Please, you have to help her!” T’Challa glanced down at the girl that had so quickly become The Hero among heroes and pressed a black bead from his bracelet, scanning her body and assessing the data. 

“If we got her to Wakanda right away, there might be something we could do, but only if we hurried.” 

“I think I can help with that.” Dr. Strange opened a portal in thin air, its exit dropping them right into The King's personal medical wing. Tony didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms under the girl's body, lifting her effortlessly into his hold and jumping through the glowing ring. Penny didn’t make a sound, only blinking up at her mentor with no recognition in her eyes. 

“Did you hear that, kid? You're going to be okay. It’s going to be okay; you don’t have to be scared.” Tony leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, avoiding her singed skin the best he could. 

“I’m- I’m not scar—scared.” She looked at him then, a last moment of clarity breaking through her gaze before her eyes closed for good. “Why would I be scared when you’re here with me?”

——

The doctors took Penny back for emergency surgery as soon as Tony let go of her, leaving the man to wait in the lounge area with the rest of the stunned Superheros, pacing the floor, clenching his left arm. 

He shouldn’t have let her go, he should have shoved her through a damn portal the second he saw her, sent her miles away and kept her safe. 

He should have kept a better eye on her; he should have stayed by her side. 

No one ever knew what was going on. One moment, they were fighting for their lives, defeating Thanos’ army and driving his forces back with all the strength they had left, and the next, nothing. Just a deafening silence that no one saw coming. 

“What the hell even happened?” One of The Guardians whispered, “one moment I was shooting at a hoard of the ugly purple bastards followers, and then thin air before I could even realize what happened. How’d she even get a hold of The Gauntlet?” 

Steve gasped, hanging his head in shame as he tried to control the guilt that was swelling up in his gut. 

“I didn’t- I didn’t mean for her too— I didn’t want-“ Bucky placed a firm hand on his best friend's shoulder. 

“It’s alright Steve.” 

“No it’s not! I should have never given it to her! I didn’t know she was going to try and use it!” The man cried, covering his face with a busted hand, but everyone could see the sheen in his eyes. Not that anyone blamed him. 

Tony sighed, Pepper coming up to his side and wrapping an arm around his waist. He knew Steve wasn’t to blame; he was. 

It was supposed to be him. 

“She saved all of our lives.” Tony looked over at Natasha, sitting against the back wall next to Clint. They locked eyes for a moment, and she could see right through the man, knowing exactly where his mind was at after all these years. 

“She wasn’t supposed to.” 

“But she did.” 

And really, no one could argue with that. The part that was absolutely killing Tony though, was that she was alone. 

She made the decision to sacrifice her life for the rest of humanity alone, probably scared out of her mind, but still doing it because that’s just who she was. 

A sixteen year old kid. 

“There’s nothing we can do about it now.” Sam said, sounding like he was trying to reason with himself more than everyone else, his fists clenched as tightly as his eyes. 

Penny was close to everyone, the aspiring hero touching each one of their hearts in a way that they couldn’t put into words, so they waited. They sat in one giant pile of guilt and worry, clutching to each other in a false sense of safety, waiting for any sort of news. 

—

The hours passed by with no word on how the girl was doing, and Tony could only hope that meant something good. 

Each person was coping in their own silent way; either by clutching the hands of those around them, or bowing their heads in a desperate prayer. 

Another half hour ticked by before the Princess of Wakanda greeted the occupants or her waiting room herself, her eyes tired, a sadness that reached beyond her years. 

Tony held his breath, clutching his wife’s hand in a bruising grip, a mantra playing over and over in his mind.

‘Not her, please not her. Please don’t take my kid.’

His kid, because that’s what she was, and it took him way too long to figure it out. 

‘Please don’t take my kid; please don’t take my daughter.’ 

Tony continued, pleading with a God he didn’t believe in to save a kid that he was in no way worthy of calling his own, but that didn’t stop him, not until Shuri whispered the words he so desperately needed to hear.

“She’s alive.” 

It was like a balloon was popped, the pressure building up in the room was finally released, each occupant exhaling a breath that was held too long. 

Shuri waited a moment, giving each superhero a chance to catch their breath and breath before she spoke again. 

She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but they needed to know. “She may be alive, but she’s certainly not out of the woods yet.” She took a breath herself before continuing, “we had to amputate her right arm.” The shock that followed her words was blinding, but not unexpected. It still hurt to hear, still had Tony and everyone else averting their gaze and clenching their fists, but it was expected. 

Bruce in his newly found hulk form had almost completely lost his arm, so Tony had subconsciously been preparing himself for the news, even if it hurt to admit. 

“Her whole right side is covered in radiation burns from the stones, and were almost positive she lost some if not all the vision in her right eye; We won’t know for sure until she wakes up.” Shuri sighed, wiping a sleeved hand over her face, “There was only so much we could do, the damage done to her body was just too great.” T’Challa walked in behind his younger sister, pulling her into his chest when she started to falter. 

“Can we see her?” Tony said, choosing to only focus on the fact that she was alive, and leaving the rest for later. That’s all he had to focus on right now. 

“They’re getting her settled into her room now, wanting to closely monitor her condition for the next couple of days before we decide where to go from there.” The King said, leading his crying sister out into the hall with the promise of being back shortly. 

“She’s alive.” Steve whispered, almost like he couldn’t believe it, clutching on to Bucky like he’s the only thing keeping him upright. He probably was. 

“She is, meaning that we can all relax and take a breather for a minute.” Pepper said, leading Tony back into his chair, smiling gently before standing. “I’m going to go call her aunt, and make arrangements to get her here, while the rest of you stay put and relax. I’ll see about getting some food when I’m done.” Pepper Potts, ever the CEO, looking professional even in athletic gear and covered in dirt and dried bits of blood. 

But, like usual, Tony let his wife’s words go in one ear and out the other, standing as soon as she was out of sight, and continued to pace the length of the room.

“Tony.” Rhodey sighed, but there was no command in his voice, quite the opposite actually; the man sounded as if we wanted to join Tony in boring a whole in the floor, just barely sitting still in his seat. 

He had gotten to her first, had been the one to find their girl burned and alone, crying silently and not being able to do a thing about it. 

The image he saw that day would stay with him for the rest of his life. 

“You guys suck at relaxing.” Peter Quill said from his corner, holding Gamora’s hand in his own, a tiny tree person clinging to his side. 

“You're one to talk, Star-Dork; you look about ready to fly out that window.” Tony wasn’t sure who clipped back; he couldn’t bother keeping up with the conversations around him, only tuning back in once Shuri entered the room once more. He stood to meet her, Rhodey hot on his tail, mechanical braces whirling with each step. 

“You can come back and see her now Mr. Stark, but just try and keep it quiet.” Tony nodded, looking back at everyone else. 

“Why don’t you and Rhodey go in first, and we’ll send in Pepper and May once they get here, alright?” Natasha said, standing up and cracking her back, walking towards the two men. “Just promise to keep us updated, alright?” 

“Of course.” Tony looked eyes with Steve quickly, nodding at the Super Soldier before following The Wakandian Princess down the hall. 

“Are you alright?” Tony glanced at his best friend of forty years, and didn’t even bother lying. 

“No, not one bit, but I can pull it together for her. She deserves that much.” 

“And more.”

Rhodey nodded grimly. “Yeah, and more.” 

——

The men had a vague idea of what to expect when they entered Penny’s hospital room for the first time, but the image that laid before them was beyond anything they could conjure on their own. 

The girl was covered in wires, bare arm poked with needles so excessively they could barely make out any skin. She had been stripped of her Spider-Suit, instead clothed in silk pajama pants and a loose fitting sports bra, not that it mattered though because her whole upper half was wrapped in tight white bandages that split and continued down the length of her right leg. 

Tony walked closer, inching forward with each tear that spilled from his eyes.

Her head was much like her body, wrapped and taped up with gauge on her right side, leaving only half her face visible. The men didn’t even dare look at the space where her arm once was. 

“Oh god.” Rhodey stopped at the foot of her bed, while Tony ventured further, carefully sitting down in the chair by her head. He reached a shaking hand up and gently brushed it across the exposed skin on her face, being mindful of the tube that went down her throat, helping her breathe.

“Hey Pen.” Tony leaned down, getting as close to the girl as he dared. “You’re okay, baby; you’re alright.” He ran a hand through her hair before looking up at Rhodey, beckoning him closer with a silent request. The man listened, taking a seat right next to him and placing a gentle hand over the girl's arm, rubbing softly when he felt how cold it was. 

“She’s so cold.” Tony made a mental note to ask for a blanket later, not having the energy to get up and search for one now that he was finally at her bedside. He continued to run a hand through the hair that he could reach, knowing that it brought as much comfort to Penny as it did to him. “I remember when you first introduced her to me; she was so nervous that she ended up spilling coffee all over my shoes, and wouldn’t stop apologizing for it even after I said it was alright.” Both men smiled at the memory, the girls apologetic grin filling their minds and making their hearts clench. 

“She has to be alright.” Tony whispered, not caring that tears were spilling silently from his eyes. Rhodey placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, leaning into his side and letting his own emotions show. 

“She will be Tones; you and I both know we won’t accept anything less.” 

—

Pepper and May joined the two men a couple of hours later, taking seats around her bed and not saying a word. Tony held his breath, waiting for May to lay it on him, blame him for doing this to her niece and kick him right to the curb and out of the girls life, but she never did. 

She wrapped him in a hug as soon as she saw him, and cried into his shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry May.” He whispered, arms locked tight around the women. May shook her head, pulling him in closer. 

“This wasn’t your fault Tony, I know you did everything you could to protect her, to bring her back; I could never blame you for that.” 

“I didn’t do anything.” 

“You saved her life.” May reiterated, taking his hand into her own.

“She saved all of our lives.” The women gave him a disappointed look, growing more and more flustered the longer he fought back. 

“Look where we are Tony; we’re in the most technologically advanced civilization in the word. You brought her here; you got her the help she needed. Accept that you saved her life.” He couldn’t, not when she was laying comatose in that bed and not him. 

“It was supposed to be me.” 

“You would have died Tony.” He didn’t even blink at that; the words that had the rest of his family flinching had no effect on him. 

“You don’t care.” Rhodey whispered, eyes widening. 

“I would have done it in a heartbeat.” 

“She wouldn’t have wanted that.” Tony bristled, anger filling him for the first time since the end of the battle. 

“And I didn’t want this!” The man kept to his feet, turning towards the door and making his way out of the room. “I’m going to go update the others.” 

“Tony-“ Pepper tried to stop him, but he was already out the door and making his way back down the hall. He made it back to the waiting room in a matter of seconds, the anger he felt before depleting at the concerned looks the rest of his team gave him the moment he walked in. There were empty paper bags and soda cans scattered around, indicating Pepper made good on her promise to find food. 

“How is she?” Wanda asked, head resting soundly on Vision’s shoulder. She looked exhausted; they all did. 

Tony rubbed a hand down his face before taking the seat he had occupied hours before. “I’m not going to lie; it’s bad.” They all deflated at that, heads hanging in defeat while they choked back exhaustion filled sobs. “She’s alive, but they think she’s in some sort of a coma, which isn’t surprising considering the damage.” The man took a breath, slumping back into his seat, “she’s got a long recovery ahead of her.” Tony looked at everyone still piled into the room; no one had moved. “Why don’t you all go get some rest, eat some food. You can come back in the morning if you really want.” They looked hesitant to agree, but their exhaustion won in the end, deciding they were no use to the girl if they were dead on their feet. 

“What about you?” Steve asked, slowly standing with the help of Bucky and Sam. He was taking it the worst out of all of them; Tony could see the guilt written in his eyes. 

“Don’t worry about me; Pepper shoved some food down my throat not too long ago, so I’m right as rain.” No one believed him of course, but no one called him out on his lie either. Bruce crawled out of the little nook he had made for himself, seeming to have come back down from his Hulk form, his arm still resting in a sling. 

“I know that Wakandian doctors have way more medical knowledge then I do, but I would still like to take a look at her if you don’t mind.” Of course Tony didn’t mind; he trusted Bruce with his life, and knew the man was just worried about Penny. He spent a fair amount of time with the girl in his lab in the years before the snap, teaching the girl all he knew about bioengineering. 

“Of course you can Bruce; I’ll tell the doctors that you’ll be stopping by in the morning, alright? But try and get some rest for right now; you need it.”

“So do you.” Tony knew that; his body knew that, but he still couldn’t force himself to rest. He smiled at the doctor anyway, even if just to get him off his back. 

It was going to be a long night.

——

They stayed in Wakanda for a week, none of them willing to leave until Penny could go back home with them. Her condition hadn’t changed in the slightest, still comatose to the world, but the Wakandian doctors were confident that she was stable enough to make the flight back to the tower without complication. 

It was a whirlwind of activity from there, each hero packing what little belongings they had with them and making their way out of the medical wing for the last time. 

Pepper had gone back home to the cabin after the first day, insisting that her and Morgan would be fine for a couple of days without him, making him promise to keep her updated on Penny’s condition. 

May had yet to leave the girls side for more than an hour at a time, allowing herself just enough time to shower and choke down some food before she was right back in that chair, gripping her niece's hand and whispering reassurances in her ear. 

“Are you ready to go home, baby? I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get back to New York. You’re going to be staying at the tower with Tony for a little while, but don’t worry, I’ll visit you everyday.” Tony walked into the room then, placing a gentle hand on the women’s hunched over figure. May turned instantly, standing and wrapping him in a hug that would have surprised him a week ago, but had now become a regular thing between the pair. 

“It’s going to be okay May.” Tony said, putting as much reassurance in his voice as she did for Penny. “I know it looks bad now, but she just needs time. She’ll pull through, May, she will.” 

“She has to.” 

“She will.” 

——

They made it back to the tower around three in the morning, Helen Cho waiting for them in the hanger bay with a fleet of her most trusted medical officials. They wheeled Penny straight to the medbay as soon as they got off the jet, but Helen lingered for a moment to greet the rest of her team. 

“We’re going to do everything we can.” Tony greeted her halfway, pulling the doctor into a tight hug that he couldn’t resist giving. 

“I know you will.” They’d stayed like that for a moment before pulling away, Helen with a slight smile in her lips, and Tony with gratitude in his eyes. She turned towards Bruce then. 

“Would you like to join us Bruce? We could really use your expertise.” The doctor stepped forward, stepping in line with Helen as she led them back to the medbay. 

“It would be my honor.” 

——

There were regular visitors in Penny’s room; Tony, May, Happy, Pepper and Rhodey were constantly stopping by, sitting with the girl for hours on end, only leaving to do the bare necessity before they found themselves crossing the threshold once more, and doing it all over again. 

Then there were those who made it a point to visit the girl at least once a day; Steve, Natasha, Sam and Bucky drafting in for a few minutes, not saying a word, before disappearing as silently as they came.

Doctor Strange had visited once or twice, placing a hand to Penny’s forehead, closing his eyes like he was searching for something, leaving in a ring of light before Tony could question what the hell he was doing. 

It continued like that for a week, everyone making an effort to visit the girl, except for a certain group of galactic heroes.

Or so they thought. 

Peter Quill entered Penny’s hospital room late one night, checking to make sure nobody was already sitting by her bedside, before slipping in and taking a seat at her head. He reached over and brushed the hair that had fallen in her eyes away before digging into his pocket and pulling out his outdated Walkman. 

“Hey, kid. How are you doin’, huh?” He untangled the cord that was wrapped around the device before spinning the earbud through the air. “You got to get bored, sitting down here by all yourself—” He slipped the bud into her left ear, leaning his head down onto her bed so that he could do the same with the other one— “I don’t know what kind of music you like, but listening to tunes had always made me feel better, so let’s give it a try huh? Feel free to stop me anytime.” 

She didn’t of course, but Peter didn’t mind the silence, humming along to the old lyrics as they sang through their ears. 

(She hears him say, "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)  
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)  
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"  
It is, yes it is  
He said, "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)  
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)  
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea")

Every once and a while he would glance up and look at the girl's closed eyes, choosing to focus on how peaceful she looked instead of the crisp white bandages that covered most of her. 

It was all he could really do for the girl. He wasn’t extraordinarily close to the teen in any way, but she was there with him when they woke up on Titian. He still remembered the fear that shone in her eyes the moment she woke up; the confusion that encapsulated her. He’d awkwardly patted her back and assured her that all would be okay and she’d smiled at him. She was one of those people with a killer smile. 

There was nothing he could really do for her but sit by her side and play some old classics, hoping that she heard them somehow. 

That it brought a comfort to whatever remote part of her mind she was trapped in. 

So he did, blinking up at the moonlight, falling asleep by her side even when he promised he wouldn’t. 

—

And if Tony found them early the next morning, music still playing softly in their ears, snores escaping the man he thought to be cold and distant, uncaring; then no one had to know. 

—

Penny was confused, to say the least. 

She could hear little snippets of conversations as people spoke around her; she could feel someone holding her left hand (never her right), but couldn’t so much as grip their hand back, no matter how hard she tried. 

At first, it was just words that would somehow find their way into her subconscious, sticking to her memory for a few minutes while she tried to figure out where they came from, before she would ultimately forget, her mind falling into the darkness once more. 

Now, it was full length sentences, and a few small conversations; she could make out tones and personality, almost placing a face to the voice before losing awareness. The moments of clarity got more and more frequent, to the point where she was sure she was going to wake up from whatever haze she was in, but would fall back to where she resided before she could break through completely. 

She did manage to twitch her fingers once, so that was something. 

Then the music came, filling her mind so suddenly that she would have startled if she could, chasing away the silence with each lulling note. 

It was nice. 

It only lasted for a little while before the world went quiet again, but Penny would take what she could get.

——

It’s been three weeks since the final battle, two weeks since their return to the tower, and one week since Tony had started to get restless. 

The doctors had reassured him time and time again that this was normal, that she would wake up when she was ready, but Tony had never been a patient man. 

So he tried to busy himself as much as he could, volunteering to change the teens' bandages and clean her up so he could at least feel like he was doing something productive. 

“Okay, Pen, let's get you all nice and clean, yeah?” He snapped on some surgical gloves and got started with her right leg, unwrapping the old white strips as gently as he could. He took a sponge and some lukewarm water, dabbing her skin clean before spraying some disinfectant that would surely burn if the girl was awake. He made his way up the entire length of her body, leaving her chest to be cared for by a female nurse, stopping once everything was cleaned and disinfected to his satisfaction. He slathered her skin in burn cream that Bruce had developed, wrapping her back up when he was done. 

“What am I going to do with you, huh baby?” He glanced back down at her, eyes stopping at the tube going down her throat, the feeding tube in her stomach, the chathator, all of it; eyes lingering until they couldn’t any more. Until he was choking back a sob that he had no chance of holding back. He cupped her cheek, staring at her youthful face, the baby fat that was still clinging to her features, and wondered… why? Why her? 

“You’ve got to wake up, Pen; I know it’s scary and nothing is going to be the same as it was, but you’ve got to wake up honey, please.” Tony took a deep breath, taking the girl's chilled hand in his own and trying his best to compose himself. “Morgan’s been asking when she can meet you. She knows you’re Spider-Girl, sorry about that, but I’ve been telling her bedtime stories about her big sister since before she could talk. I guess she put two and two together.” Tony leaned down, placing a lingering kiss to his kids forehead before getting up. 

“Everything’s going to be okay, Penny.” 

——

“You’ve got to wake up, Pen; I know it’s scary and nothing is going to be the same as it was, but you’ve got to wake up honey, please.”

“Morgan’s been asking when she can meet you.”

“Everything’s going to be okay, Penny.” 

Penny could easily place a face to that voice, ashamed in herself for ever forgetting the sound of her father figure. 

‘That’s Mr. Stark.’ She thought. The sudden urge to see him, and everyone else, intensified to the point where she could actually feel her hands slowly clenching in determination. It was like a wave of static was being lifted from her mind, a TV finally finding the right signal, lifting her from her daze and back towards the surface.

‘I want to wake up.” She couldn’t be sure if the words had actually passed her lips, but she could feel her throat constricting in effort, forcing her to push harder. 

‘I want to see everyone.’ 

‘I want to wake up.’

So she did.

——

There was no epic moment, no shooting up in her bed while she gasped for breath, demanding to know what happened. There wasn’t a lot of anything really, just sluggish blinking as her gaze wobbled around the empty room. She didn’t even realize that she couldn’t see out of her right eye.

And pain, lots of hot blinding pain that left her with a burning numbness covering her whole right side. She winced, the movement pulling against the side of her face. She tried to reach her right arm up to wipe at her blurry vision, but it wouldn’t move, and she didn’t have the energy to wonder why.

“Mr. Stark?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, crackling with the effort of saying something for the first time in a month. 

“Penny, it’s good to see you awake.” The teen glanced up at the ceiling knowingly, recognizing the robotic female voice instantly. 

“Friday.” Her eyes slipped shut for a second; she was already feeling tired again. 

“Try and remain awake Penny, Boss and the others are on their way.” 

“My side hurts.” Friday hummed as sympathetically as an A.I could.

“Helen Cho will be here in a minute, I will make sure she adjusts your pain medicine.” 

Penny could hear pounding footsteps getting closer and closer to her door, and not a minute later was it being forced open, everyone she held dear tumbling through the threshold at once. She would have laughed at the sight, but even just lying there, blanking up at the ceiling was costosing her too much energy. 

Helen cho came into her view first, standing on her left side and taking her hand, “hello Penny, it is so good to see you awake.” Penny smiled, giving her doctor a moment more of her attention before turning towards the door as much as she could. May and Mr. Stark stood hand and hand, equally shocked expressions lighting up their faces and making their jaws drop, like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They made their way towards the girl as a unit, stopping at her bedside and forcing their mouths to work. 

“Penny?” Tony said, and it was like a switch was turned, a dam was broken, because she suddenly had an arm full of aunt May, who was crying unabashed into her shoulder. 

“Oh my God, my baby. Penny, you’re awake; my baby’s awake—“ She sobbed, her words getting lost in her cries, but Penny could make out most of it. She smiled into her aunt's hair, relishing in the smell of her shampoo— “Penny.”

“Hi Aunt May.” 

Tony walked up then, reaching down and cupping her face, meeting her tired eyes with a teary smile. He kissed her forehead twice, looking so sad and happy at the same time. “I missed you so much, baby; You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice.” His hold lingered, afraid that she would disappear, crumble through his fingertips if he let her go, but he knew he had too, so he sat up, and let Rhodey take his place, even though it killed him to do so. 

She was awake.

That’s all he could think, even as the others filed in and expressed their relief at seeing her eyes open for the first time in what felt like forever. 

She was awake, and really that’s all that mattered. Not how they got there, not the guilt he felt, or even the condition that she was in. 

All that mattered was that she was awake, and smiling at each passing face.

All that mattered was that she was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it ends kinda abrupt and everything, so if you would like me to delve a little deeper into this concept, let me know in the comments. I want to write more, but only if you guys want me to. 
> 
> Got any ideas? 
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoyed!


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